The Great Equalizer

Politics, prayer, and people.  Those three things make for a volatile mix.  Corporate prayer in itself can be a difficult skill for the people of God to master.  Both those who vocalize prayers and those who participate have challenges, including -- but not limited to -- boredom, aimlessness, and even sermonizing during prayer.  As we continue our journey through Paul's first letter to Timothy this week at OBC, we looked at 1 Timothy 2:1-7 to give us direction and meaning in our praying together through the surprising lens of the relationship between church and state.

You can listen to the sermon here. 

Below are response questions and some additional resources.

Response Questions:

1. What are the parallels between 1 Tim 2:1-7 and Jeremiah 29:1-14, and how are they significant for us today?
2.  What are some ways that prayer a “great equalizer?”
3.  What are some ways we can go about praying for political leaders who are opposed to us?
4.  How does prayer for leaders reveal the “true hierarchy of power?”
5.  Why is it important for Christians, especially American Christians, to “make the most of our shalom for the gospel?
6.  How should the fact there is only one God and one mediator between God and humanity shape the mission of the church?
7.  What are some concrete steps we can take to better pray for our “kings and all who are in high positions?”

Additional Resources:

• Who’s My Legislator (Virginia): find out who are your representatives – both state and federal – so you can pray for them.
• Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson, by D.A. Carson. The book reference in the sermon for the quote, “He was not very good at putting people down, except on his prayer lists.”
• Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation, by D.A. Carson. Another great book by the author above on prayer from the perspective of the prayers of Paul.
•  The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. What the title says. And it’s surprisingly not boring!
•  Praying the Bible, by Donald S. Whitney.Great little book about organizing our prayers around Scripture.